Time
by Venganza152
Summary: A dark, bleak future. A tormented past. Inuyasha and Naomi are on a mission to right the wrongs that had befallen their pasts. Better than it sounds. rated for alcohol use, language, violence, and possible citrus. On Hiatus
1. Future Perfect

_Hey, I have returned. Those who read Waiting for You, sorry. It is on hiatus until further notice. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially katanna tagurasha. She revived my love for writing._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the related characters. I do, however, have joint custody of Naomi with katanna tagurasha. _

_Please enjoy, Time

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Chapter One

Future Perfect

He walked down the slick, black street, taking long drafts from a bottle of cheap whiskey every few steps. He remembered back to a time when this jungle of steel and concrete was a thriving little village. Only this poison he let burn down his throat could take away the pain of this so-called future of his.

"A future without her is nothing. I might as well have died the same day she did.", he thought through his drunken haze.

He continued down the street in a half-stagger, almost completely falling on his face. He stumbled his way to his destination, the shrine.

He nearly crawled up the steps of the now abandoned shrine. He didn't care how he got there; he was going to make it to her, even if it killed him.

He made his way across the ghostly grounds to a tree, the Goshinboku. He stared at a mound of dirt, then slowly raised his eyes to stare at the kanji he had carved into the tree with his own bloodied claws so many years before.

_Kagome Higurashi_

_My Beloved_

He ran his fingers over the kanji as searing hot tears streamed down his face. His anger took over as he slammed the now empty whiskey bottle against the tree.

"Why did you have to leave me here by myself!", screamed Inuyasha as he collapsed on to Kagome's grave.

* * *

"Wake up you damn drunkard, it's time to go."

Inuyasha woke up in a bed with his head spinning, a sour taste in his mouth, and a pair of electric blue eyes staring out at him from the darkness of the room.

"How did you find me, Naomi?"

He could see naught but her eyes but he knew it was her. Her eyes shown like beacons in the pitch black room as she rolled them.

"After all these years of knowing each other and you still ask the same question every time I find you.", smiled Naomi, her fanged teeth twinkling in the darkness.

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_I hope you enjoyed it. Please don't hesitate to tell how you feel about it. It was good, it was bad, you hated it and you want to strangle me, whatever. Just click the button._


	2. Angels in the Darkness, Loved By Misery

_Sorry! These chaps are kind of short by my standards, but I 'm trying. I would like to thank katanna tagurasha and lockANDkey for reviewing. _

_I don't own Inu...etc. Katanna tagurasha and have joint custody of Naomi._

_Enjoy!_

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Chapter Two

Angels in the Darkness, Loved By Misery

"Still, I want to know how you found me."

"You are so predictable. Every time we go out drinking, you go wandering off. You either come back here and get black out drunk or you go pass out near that poor girl's grave. Do we have to go through this every single time? It's getting really annoying." answered Naomi as she lit a cigarette.

The tiny orange ember soon turned blue as she took a long drag. It glowed even brighter, matching her eyes.

"Smoking isn't good for you, you know." informed Inuyasha vacantly as he sat up in the bed, now realizing that he had been stripped down to his boxers.

Naomi let out a puff of white smoke in an exasperated sigh.

"You're one to talk. Last time I checked, neither was getting drunk all the fucking time. The day you stop is the day I stop."

"Besides," she began as she stalked over to him from the darkness, "It will ruin that wonderful physique of yours."

He finally saw her when she was about two inches away from him, as she ran her slender fingers down his chiseled chest. She took another drag and blew a cloud of pure white in his face, giving him yet another fanged smile after. Now she began to trace his abs.

As she studied him, he began to study her.

Naomi had silky, silver hair with black streaks that she almost always tied back in a low ponytail. She left out forelocks that framed her face. She had two black-stripped ears similar to his with the exception of two black tufts of fur on the tips. The stripes on her face accented her eyes. She had three blue stripes under each cheekbone and a large red stripe starting at her hairline and ending at her eyebrows. He concentrated on her eyes. So stern and angry, yet so sad. She usually donned red and blue attire to match her stripes, but today she opted for a tight-fitting black tank top, camo pants, combat boots, and matching dog tags with her name in kanji and romaji on them.

"Planning to join the army aren't we?" asked Inuyasha sarcastically.

Naomi dropped the cigarette and ground it into the floor with her boot. She looked down at him with a puzzled look on her face. That's when she noticed where he was looking. She looked down at her clothes and shot him a dirty look.

"You're so funny, you should do stand up. Okay, Mister Comedian, get up and get dressed. We shouldn't even be here. If you insist on coming here all the damn time, then why don't we just move out of our place and set up here." sighed Naomi as she threw some clothes at him, "I mean we come here so much, it's almost like live here."

"Three things. One, you know why we can't live here. Two, what happened to my old clothes? And finally, why do have to wear your boots in here? We are in a house, at least show some common courtesy."

The clothes she had thrown him were brand-new and smelled like they just came from the store.

"What is this, twenty questions? I trashed those old, black rags. The son of the Inu no Taisho should not be wearing such ragged clothes… and you threw up all over yourself after you pasted out. Also, I don't consider this a house as much as I consider this a makeshift hotel/bar, which is why I wear my boots. You should really be grateful for all that I do for you, instead of interrogating me every time we see each other."

Inuyasha climbed out of the bed and started getting dressed. She always badgered him like that after finding him. He sat back down on the bed to put on his boots. He realized Naomi's point as he tied his boots and accidentally knocked over an empty whisky bottle. He decided to tune back into her ranting. If she was right about that, then maybe he should listen to whatever had to say now.

"…You wouldn't throw up like that if you didn't drink such cheap stuff. Really," she began as she picked up one of the many bottles on the floor, "you have terrible taste..."

"Do you notice how much you ramble on and on? You went from talking about how you found me to how bad my taste in alcohol is."

"I was just letting you know for future reference."

Inuyasha stood up and looked her straight in the eye. His fiery embers melted into her electric blue pools. He was mesmerized by her eyes.

"Um…"

He finally snapped out of her imaginary spell and turned into his old self.

"I appreciated it but don't expect a "thank you" every time you do something for me that you feel obligated to do. You didn't have to do any of this. I am fucking seven hundred years old. I am damn well old enough to take care of myself, which is the biggest understatement of all time!" he snapped

"I do it because I made a promise and I plan on keeping it, whether you like it or not!" yelled Naomi with a mix of anger and hurt.

Naomi stormed out of the dark, dusty room, slamming the door behind her.

"_What was that about?"_ he thought

"_You snapped at her when she did nothing but show you compassion."_

"_She needs to mind her own damn business."_

"_If it weren't for her, then you would be six feet under by now."_

"_Why the hell am I arguing with myself?"_

He thought back to his times with Naomi. So many years, centuries. As long as she had two legs and a heart beat, she was and would always be there with him. Battles, depression, thoughts of suicide, or just when he needed a drinking buddy, she was there. Whether she knew it or not, she had done more than anyone else could say. Even with her at his side, his life was an empty shell of what it once was. He only allowed her to stay because she was all he had left and the only one who stay with him.

Inuyasha looked down at the clothes that he had so absently put on and cracked a little smile.

He wore a red button down shirt with a white tee underneath, a pair of slightly baggy jeans, and a new pair of steel toed work boots that he had been wanting.

"_That woman knows me like the back of her hand."_ thought Inuyasha.

He took one last look around the room, the very one that his beloved had once called her own, and walked out to the staircase. There she stood, waiting for him by the door.

"Kagome," he whispered.

"Sorry Romeo, swing and a miss." whispered Naomi, her voice slightly cracking.

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_Hope you enjoyed it! Lots of questions and no answers. If I get some more reviews, I might just answer a few. Just do the clicky!_


	3. Songs of the Damned

_Finally! It's done! I'm so happy! Now I have writer's block._:(_ Oh well. Thanks to katanna tagurasha and lockANDkey for reviewing._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inu. I have joint-custody of Naomi with katanna tagurasha. If you have a problem with that, well too bad.

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Songs of the Damned _

She never understood why he treated her like that when all she did was show a little concern…and love.

"_This is stupid and foolish. How could I let myself be brought to my knees by yet another one of those damned stubborn fools? I have done so much for him yet I have gotten nothing but more pain and misery. Am I destined to…"_

She snapped out of her train of thought when she heard Inuyasha leave Kagome's room.

"_Finally, I'm tired of being in this horrible place."_

She took one look up at him and felt heated right down to her core.

"_Damn he looks good… That's probably it. I'm feeling this way because I'm on a lust trip. I don't really FEEL anything for him."_

No matter how much she denied it, she knew she did. All she could do was lie to herself. She never knew she could love a man the way she loved him. It surpassed anything she had ever felt before. She tried to make him happy, but he still remained the same broken man she had met so many years before.

She couldn't help herself, she continued to stare as he closed the door behind him and began to return her stare. He froze and continued their little staring contest, his smoldering embers locked on her electric gaze. Her ears swiveled nervously every which way and a light blush tinged her cheeks.

Even when she was in the room with him, even when she was undressing him, she was able to keep herself composed. Now she felt like she was losing control. Naomi felt those three powerful words kiss her lips and tease her as he continued to stare.

That is when he spoke the name that made her heart sink into oblivion.

"Kagome…"

"Sorry Romeo, swing and a miss." whispered Naomi, her voice slightly cracking.

She turned and left him to his thoughts of the girl in the deserted house.

He jumped toward the door to catch up with her, but when he reached the door, she had slammed it shut. The door came off its hinges a second later and Inuyasha was greeted by a cloud of white smoke and scorch marks burned into the ground.

He stepped out onto the grounds of the old shrine and slowly walked over to the Goshinboku. He looked down at the mound and turned away. As he walked off, one thought stuck in his mind.

"_You could make everything better if you were here."_

He returned to the apartment they shared expecting to find her there. He was met by shadows and tiny wisps of light from neon signs that showered the streets. He entered her room for the first time in the three years that they had lived together. More shadows.

He got sidetracked when he saw that she had turned her room into a work of art. Beautiful paintings covered all four walls. The one that caught his eye was the one next to her bed. It was of a dog and some type of hybrid animal facing each other. In between them was the kanji for love. The two animals looked mysteriously familiar.

Inuyasha wandered over to her dresser to find a sketchbook. He absently began to flip through it and was amazed with what he saw. Everyone. Everyone that they knew down at the club that they drank at was in it, in full detail. Pure talent graced the pages. There were many rough sketches, but they looked like they belonged in a gallery or museum. Every last detail on each person played out on the pages.

He continued to flip through it when he saw a drawing that made him freeze. He was so shocked that he didn't notice the small envelope that marked the page, drop to the floor.

It was a picture of Naomi and himself…kissing. She had her arms tight around his neck and he had his tightly around her waist. She had drawn herself with her hair loose, a rarity that he had seen on extremely special occasions over the half-millennia that he had known her. Their hair intertwined in the imaginary breeze.

All those years yet he never truly questioned why she chose to stay with him. It all stared to add up in his head.

"I really am dense." he whispered, smiling as he remembered the words of a certain young kitsune.

He looked down to see the small envelope he had so carelessly let fall to the ground. It was for him. He used a clawed finger to slice the envelope open. He slid the letter out and let his golden eyes take in every bit of it.

"_If you're reading this, then you can find me at the club. As you obviously forgot, my band was scheduled to play tonight. I was hoping you'd come see me, but knowing you, it would be too much to ask on a night like tonight. You are the only man I know that can get black-out drunk, have a hangover, and get over it in an hour, so I know you are reading this with a sound mind. Now you know the truth. I love you. I can't deny it anymore. I would 'appreciate' it if you came tonight so we can talk. There is something else that you must know."_

"_P.S. You are nosey as hell, going through my shit like that. I knew you would."_

Inuyasha smiled and left the room. It was when his ear twitched that he realized something was missing.

"Oh shit, I don't have anything to cover my ears!"

He ran to his room and searched for anything that could be used to cover his ears without making him look stupid. Nothing turned up.

"Of all times…" he started as he shoved his hands

That was when he felt something wrap around his right hand. He pulled it out to find a red bandana with a sticky note on it that read:

"_Thought you might need this."_

He tore off the note and tied it over his ears and already tied-back hair. He grabbed his boots and made his way back to the club they had been at earlier.

* * *

About two hours before his drunken wandering, Inuyasha and Naomi had been at the club. Naomi's band been setting up and Naomi was tuning her guitar. 

"_Hey Naomi."_

"_You want to hear a story?"_

_She stared at him apprehensively._

"_I don't know, you know how you get when you tell your 'stories'"_

_He continued to ask her until she gave in._

"_Fine, but I get to tell you one of my stories."_

_The owner walked over to their table near the stage._

"_Hey Naomi! Inu. So what are you going to be playing tonight?"_

"_I don't know, maybe some covers of some western bands."_

"_You know I don't like that gaijin shit."_

"_That shit is what brings in all our fans to this place, not that techno garbage that you insist on poisoning my ears with."_

_He kept his mouth shut when he realized she was right._

"_Alright. You want some poison before the crowd starts to form?" asked the owner as he looked at the door and saw people beginning to file in._

"_No…"_

"_Whiskey…" blurted Inuyasha_

_Naomi stared at Inuyasha like he was crazy._

"_Just two shots for him."_

"_But Naomi…"_

_She hated when he whined like that._

"_You know how you get with the drinks and the stories. You get all mopey and go overboard with the damn drinks."_

_The owner walked over to the bar, picked up a bottle of cheap whiskey and shot glasses_

_Naomi knew what he was going to do. He always thought that he could get away with it too. He would practically pour the fire water down Inuyasha's throat and happily watch as the hanyou stumbled out in his drunken stupor. She had somehow managed to piss that bastard off yet again and this would be his revenge. And yet she let it happen out of complete desperation to be near a man she knew she had no chance with._

_She just sat and watched as he poured the first shot of what would be a long night of heavy drinking and distant memories turned evanescent dreams. She knew the owner who she loving referred to as bastard had a ready and waiting supply of whiskey for her beloved hanyou._

'_It has begun' she thought as she tried to fight off her oncoming headache._

_So he began. Naomi listened to his tipsy ramblings during bottle one. They returned to a time long forgotten. A time that was governed by iron and fang. They escaped the concrete, steel hell they embraced them so. He spoke of his band of misfit comrades in the order that he usually did. Until he reached the miko, HIS miko. By then he had drank so much that it could have incapacitated any other being. That would not stop him of course._

_Naomi tuned out Inuyasha's slurred regret and just listened to the sound of his voice. The very voice she wished would speak so lovingly of her. She knew it would never be so but no one could keep her from dreaming._

_She snapped to when one of her band mates called her over to check some wiring. Her attention turned immediately over to Inuyasha. Even in his drunken state, he was as quick as lightning and if she didn't keep and eye on him, he would go wandering off again._

'_Don't worry so much. He'll be fine. You're not even going that far away from him. He will still be right in that seat. No need to worry.'_

_She stood up. He was still there. She took a step. Still there. She blinked and he was off. All she saw was a wisp of silver- entwined black before the door swung open 'magically' on its own._

"_I'll be back" she yelled over her shoulder as she went after him.

* * *

_

Inuyasha made his way down the sidewalk. He was almost at the club when he was met by the line in that took up almost the whole block. He ran past them, heading straight for the door. The sounds of the fans calls for Naomi and the pounding music from inside the club mingled in his ears as the door came into sight. Then came a call that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Do me Naomi!"

He couldn't help but look back to see a young, slender girl jumping so much she could put a Jack Russell terrier to shame. She had jet black hair, glasses, rather 'form fitting' jeans, and a tee with Naomi's picture on it.

"_Okay. Weird."_

He got to the door to be met with the bouncer, who happened to be built like a bulldog.

"Name"

"Damn it Takashi, you know my name."

"I'm on orders to keep you out. Just make things easier for the both of us and make your way home."

Of course it didn't sit well with a certain hanyou. He gave a fanged smile.

"If you don't step aside and let me in, you'll be going home in a matchbox."

"But…"

"Either you move or I'll make you move."

A single bead of sweat slid down Takashi's forehead as he let Inuyasha pass. He was met by a huge crowd. There was a single table next to the stage left where he and Naomi were sitting. It had been reserved for him.

"_This woman is confusing!" _he thought as he took his seat

Naomi and her band mates stepped out on to the stage and the crowd roared her name. The weird girl Inuyasha had seen in line had somehow made her way in and was right in front of the stage, yelling her head off.

"I love you Naomi!" she yelled

Naomi just smiled and said "Thank you, love."

"Thank you all for coming out tonight. I was having a rough night and seeing you all here makes me feel so much better. The songs we're going to play tonight are dedicated to friend of mine who lost his way along the years. I just want you to know that you were never alone."

She started playing while Inuyasha watched in awe. The only difference in her appearance was the army-style hat that covered her ears, yet to him, she looked like a completely different woman. He hung his head in shame at his attitude toward her earlier. He felt his heart clench at the words of the song.

The songs she sang were their songs. The songs of the damned. Those damned from birth to be bound to time for eternity. The words told the stories of their lives, the stories of times long since past.

At that moment he felt connected to her and her to him. He could feel her fingers tracing his body again as several images of her underneath him, both lost in complete ecstasy flashed through his mind.

She felt the guitar strings under her fingers slowly turning into his skin. She racked her fingers down hard, in her mind seeing the same images, as if they were going down his back.

Her words echoed through his ears and his name echoed through hers. It was almost unbearable. She tried her best to wrap it up so she could get to him. He drifted in and out of reality as he listened to her voice and began to imagine her moaning his name. He thought he would go insane if he stayed there any longer.

She finished and wasted no time jumping into the audience. She fought her way over to him just to have him grab her hand as he proceeded to push his way through her many fans now trying to engulf them.

Inuyasha burst though the emergency exit, setting off the alarm. The crowd went wild, trying escape all at once through the tiny door. Naomi and Inuyasha were chased until the reached their apartment. By then, the fans had given or passed out on the chase which led them half way across the city.

That didn't slow their running though. They continued to run frantically until they reached the elevator in the lobby. As soon as the heavy steel doors shut, he threw her up against the wall and kissed her fiercely. She wrapped her arms his neck, trying to pull him as close as physically possible. It still wasn't close enough. He slid his hands up her tank top and tickled her skin with his fingertips.

Naomi's conscience was screaming in her ear at this point.

"_You have to tell him."_

"_No, not now!"_

"_Yes, you have to now, before this goes any further"_

"_Please, let me have him. Just for tonight. I need him."_

"_If you love him, you must. If he truly cares for you, things won't change if you do."_

They managed to stumble out of the elevator, into the apartment and kick off their shoes without breaking contact. They stumbled on to the sofa where the now shirtless Inuyasha had Naomi pinned. Her conscience badgered her as he kissed, licked, and bit her neck.

"_Tell him!"_

"_FINE! I hate you so much!"_

"_I know."_

He tore her top and bra in half to begin his feast on her pale mounds. When his lips touched her flesh, she moaned out of pleasure and anger. She pushed him off and tried her best to cover herself up. He looked at her with hurt and confusion spread across his face. She let silent tears fall as she spoke.

"I need to ask you something."

His confusion spread even more as he moved closer to her.

"Anything. Just tell me what's wrong."

She laughed at the sad, obvious answer to the question she was about to ask. The tears flowed, yet her voice showed no sign of it.

"What would you give to see Kagome again?"

* * *

_So what did you think? I tried to make it better than a horrible flaming piece of shit, but I don't think even got there. This will be going on hiatus as well. I'm thinking about picking up Waiting for You again. If I get enough reviews, it might help clear up my writer's block. Just do the clicky and tell me what you think._

_Peace for now!_


	4. Sober Regrets, Vodka Songbirds

_Okay. Thanks to lockANDkey and Anti Fluffy for reviewing. I'm not too sure about this chap. I think I might get a few flames for this one. I don't know about the title of the chap. If anyone has any suggestions for a new one, feel free to speak your mind._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inu...blah,blah,blah. You know the rest. I don't own "Long December" by the Counting Crows, but I wish I did._

OoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 4: Sober Regrets, Vodka Songbirds

He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Naomi gave him a watery smile.

"It's what you want isn't it. You want to go back and fix things so that you would still be with her now."

He ran his fingers through his hair as he carefully tried to articulate his thoughts.

"I...I love you..."

"Liar," she yelled as her voice finally cracked, "Love doesn't happen overnight and you know that. Yesterday, hell, even a few hours ago, I was just was an annoyance to you, a nag. I was always there for you and all of a sudden you force yourself on me, thinking if you fuck me it will make up for all that time you spent beating yourself up over something no one could control. No. It doesn't work that way."

"I..."

Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck, remaining silent in the fear that he might fuck things up even more than he had already done. He hadn't meant for it to go that far. He had just acted on an impulse and when he realized what he was doing he continued, hoping that contact would give them a fix to help fight away their loneliness for a little longer.

He knew she needed it as much as he did. Before that night, he never knew why she was lonely, but he always saw the same empty look in her face that he saw when he looked in the mirror. He listened to her cry herself to sleep sometimes, like he had after he lost Kagome. They would go days, even weeks without talking, but he always managed to catch a glimpse of those beautifully bloodshot blue eyes and smell the scent of tears that always clung to her.

He wanted to tell her what he saw. He wanted to tell her that even when he was wallowing in his fucking regret; that she always managed to make her way into his thoughts. All those words that were dying to be let loose and yet they never reached his lips.

He just held his head in his hands as she left the room.

After three minutes she reappeared in front of him with some different clothes on. Black boots, tight black jeans, a thin black blouse with a black tank top underneath, black bandana and a tight black leather jacket made her look like his executioner or at least like a vampire. She had definitely bore her fangs at him enough that night to pass as one.

"I'm tired of this bullshit. I know that I could never come close to what she was to you, but I don't want to keep going through this. If you want her, I can bring you to her and it will be as if we never met. You need to choose because I don't know how much more I can take... Call me when you get your shit together."

With that, she left.

"Fuck." he whispered as he slumped back into the couch.

He stared off into space until images of both women flashed through his mind like a slide show to the soundtrack of Naomi's words.

_"Choose!"_

_"I can't."_

_"Why?"_

_"It's complicated. I don't know what I want"_

_"It's only as complicated as you make it. She left because you made things more complicated than they had to be."_

_"What the hell did she mean by 'I can bring you to her' anyway?"_

_"I don't know, but it means you have another chance with Kagome. You have to choose soon because even if you don't pick Naomi, all chances with Kagome are gone with her if you let her leave without saying anything."_

_"I can't do that...to either of them."_

_"You have to risk one or lose both."_

He sighed as he felt his head throb from his inward argument.

_"I just don't know what to think anymore."_

_OoOoOoOoOoOo_

The fair-haired "business" man leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose as one of his "clients" left his office. He was tired of dealing with these idiots. How had he fallen this far? He had been ruler and commander of the western lands. Now he was the leader of a youkai crime syndicate and the CEO of a major corporation. While many beings, ningen and youkai alike, would kill to be him, having the city wrapped around his finger was a far cry from having half the damn country in the palm of his hand.

The technological advancements of the past hundreds years had forced the once powerful inu youkai, like many others, into hiding. Those ningen finally had the power to subdue him and he would rather his other arm sliced off as well than become their next test subject. He had been shot once. The wound hadn't been that serious, but it took longer to heal than even his worst injury and he didn't plan on letting it happen again. So he was forced to masquerade as one of them. As much as he hated to admit, living amongst them wasn't as terrible as he had thought in the past. He figured that living amongst them for so long was giving him a soft spot for them. He started not dwell on it too much and it became second nature to him.

He needed a break from such frivolous things like paperwork and the squabbles that went on in the streets between moronic thugs. He needed a drink, badly. He decided to leave right away. As he stood from his chair, a very small, hideous man waddled into his office. As soon as the door closed behind him, the hideous man turned into a hideous toad youkai. He barely acknowledged the disgusting creature as he straightened his white Armani suit, red silk shirt and white silk tie. He frowned at a small scuff on his white shoes as the idiot chattered on about a flight he had to catch or something to that effect. He had walked past him and was half way out of his office when he finally spoke.

"I'm leaving. I'm not sure when I'll return, so cancel all my appointments for the next week."

"Where are you going Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He turned and shot the toad his infamously cold stare.

"I need not explain myself to the likes of you."

He closed the door behind him, leaving the poor toad cowering in fear.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

She walked to a random bar, refusing to go back to her usual spot after the little scene that had transpired earlier that night. She walked in, ordered their best vodka, and settled in the darkest corner she could find. She swirled the ice around in the clear liquid as she removed her cell from her jacket pocket and placed it on the table in front of her. She took a small swig from the glass as she watched the cell dance about the table in vibrate mode. It had been the tenth time he had called her since she left. She knew she had told him to call her when he had made his choice, but he could wait. He had been stewing in his own shit for five-hundred years; he could wait a few more hours.

She emptied the glass and was about refill it when _he_ came in. They spotted each other immediately. She flagged him down with a half-smile. He ordered a few more bottles of vodka for them. He gave a rare smile at the bartender when he looked at him in awe as he handed over the many bottles and extra glass. The poor man was completely awestruck at the amount of alcohol the two were about to consume, not knowing that that amount, at the most, would bring a slight buzz to the strange couple. He made his way over to her table. She poured him a glass as he took his seat across from her. They smiled at each other as he loosened his tie then gulped down his first glass.

"It's not healthy to gulp it down like that, Sesshoumaru."

"I don't remember the last time smoking was good for you." said Sesshoumaru as Naomi as she stuck a cigarette in her mouth.

She made sure no one was looking when she snapped her fingers to receive a small blue flame which she used to light the cigarette. She quickly extinguished it when she noticed the bartender turning toward them.

"You're not the first to tell me. You realize _are_ talking to a fire youkai. Smoking is one of my specialties." added Naomi as she let the smoke escape from mouth.

She took the box back out from her pocket and offered him the last one. He took it and nodded toward her gratefully. She lit it with another snap of her fingers. He took a long drag and let out the smoke in a deep sigh.

"I never thought I would see you again." he said flatly as he looked in to her eyes.

"Eight-hundred years of separation and our chance meetings in between could make you think so, couldn't it? How much time actually passed since we talked like this?"

"I think it has been about two centuries. We did meet again after that, but I'm sure you remember how that ended.

She smiled into her glass as she drank and recalled the memory.

"You know the scars from that one haven't completely gone away. I'd give it another five to ten years before they are completely gone. You really know how to leave a mark."

"I could say the same about you."

They continued to talk like old friends who hadn't seen each other in ages. They had a good laugh when Naomi commented on how Sesshoumaru used to refer to himself in the third person.

"You've changed."

"So have you."

"Eight-hundred years can do that to a person... I think I like you better this way."

"What do you mean by that?"

He smiled at her, a fang shown under his lip, just like Inuyasha... NO! She was having a good time without him. She didn't need to think about him, he could wait.

There was complete silence for a minute. Naomi listened to the music as one song ended and another began. It was a western song, which was a bit different from the music that had been playing during their conversation, but it was a favorite of her's, so she wasn't complaining.

"I love this song." she whispered with closed eyes.

"Would you like to dance?" asked Sesshoumaru as placed his tie on the table and unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt.

She opened her eyes and gave him a drowsy smile. She accepted his extended hand. He led to her the middle of the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I don't think I ever danced with a one-armed man before." she whispered with a tired laugh.

He squeezed her tighter against him for that remark.

_**A long December and there's reason to believe**_

_**Maybe this year will be better than the last**_

_**I can't remember the last thing you said as you were leavin'**_

_**Now the days go by so fast**_

_**And it's one more day up in the canyons**_

_**And it's one more night in Hollywood**_

**_If you think that I could be forgiven...I wish you would_**

"I hate you for what you did to me Sesshoumaru."

_"Why did you make hate you? Why did you abandon me? I would have forgiven you. That's how much I cared."_

"I would not expect less from you."

_"I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't mean for it to be like that."_

_**The smell of hospitals in winter**_

_**And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls**_

_**All at once you look across a crowded room**_

_**To see the way that light attaches to a girl**_

_**And it's one more day up in the canyons**_

_**And it's one more night in Hollywood**_

_**If you think you might come to California... I think you should**_

"Why did you come here? I didn't want any more of this drama,"

_"I'm glad you came. I needed to be with someone who actually enjoys my company."_

"I just wandered into the first bar I saw."

_"I knew you were here. I just needed to see you again"_

_**Drove up to Hillside Manor sometime after two a.m.**_

_**And talked a little while about the year**_

_**I guess the winter makes the winter makes you laugh a little slower,**_

**_Makes you talk a little lower about the things you could not show her_**

_**And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe**_

**_Maybe this year will be better than the last_**

_**I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself**_

**_To hold on to these moments as they pass_**

"I ...I just want you to hold me." choked Naomi as she broke their secret language and let silver tears run down her cheeks.

He held her close as she broke down and sobbed into the crook of his neck.

**_And it's one more day up in the canyon_**

_**And it's one more night in Hollywood**_

**_It's been so long_ _since I've seen the ocean...I guess I should_**

The bartender watched as they stood there after the song ended. By the colors they were wearing, it seemed like an angel comforting a devil. She let go first and kissed him with all that was in her. She broke away, grabbed her cell, and was about to leave when he pulled her into a searing kiss.

Being with him was surreal. She found herself lost in a whirlwind as black and white became gray. Her cell went unanswered twenty-seven times as it danced on Sesshoumaru's bedside table.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_I think I made Sesshoumaru-sama too fluffy. Don't be angry! Show some love and review._

_Peace, for now!_


	5. Vermilion Dreams, The Kill

_Alright, When We Were Young didn't do as well as I thought it would. I thought that the song went well with the situation, but obviously only one person thought that it was even worthy of a review. The next one will be better!_

_This chap is what results from listening to Vermilion pt.2 by Slipknot and The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars all night in front of a computer screen. Please kiddies, don't try it at home._

_Thanks to Atelaar for the concrit. It helped me think of extra material for this chap. Thanks also to my dear friend Helen and Anti Fluffy for reviewing._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Inu. If I did the characters would have WAY more problems than they already have.

* * *

_

**_Vermilion Dreams, The Kill_**

_The pale moonlight shown as streams of molten silver poured down her snowy skin. It was hauntingly quiet as two people sat and watched the night's sky as the first snow of the year fell. The silence was soon broken when it filled with their whispers._

_"I thought you would not return." said a beautifully pale young woman, who was now crying rivers._

_"I had some very...pressing matters to attend to. Everything has been taken care of now, I assure you. It will be a long while before I will leave again." said the other figure, still obscured by the darkness._

_"If you must leave again, then promise me you'll take me with you."_

_The shadow figure smiled, teeth glistening in the moonlight. Their fanged grin almost completely matched the crescent moon that shown the night they left. The young woman smiled back through her tears as the two turned back to the full moon that shown that night._

_"I don't know. Keeping promises is not one of my strengths."_

_"You promised him you would take care of us and it's been three years since then. You are stronger than you may think, because of that we have survived. We would not have done so if you had not kept your promise."_

_The shadow wiped the tears away from the eyes of the lovely woman._

_"You greatly underestimate yourself, Izayoi-hime. Even without me, you would have been able to survive with enough strength to support yourself and raise his child. He is fine boy, the Inu no Taisho would be proud to see how clever the young pup is. You have done well with him."_

_Izayoi held the shadow's hand to her face and looked up into the darkness with sad, longing eyes._

_"You don't know how much I wish I could believe you. While you were gone, I felt as if he had left me again. I felt like a lost child and wanted more than anything to go looking for you. I was about to last night when you came to me in a dream. You told me to wait, that you would return. That was the only thing that kept me from leaving."_

_The shadow ran clawed fingers through Izayoi's silky midnight hair. Another enchanting smile sparkled through the darkness._

_"You saw me in a dream." began the shadow with a sigh, "Did you really miss me that much?"_

_Izayoi stared into the blanket of snow that had covered the ground as a blush dusted across her face._

_"More than you will ever know."_

_With those words, a silver ghost pierced through the shadow, splattering pools of vermilion onto the white. Izayoi's screams shattered the peace as the shadow came into light and fell into the blood._

_"NAOMI!"

* * *

_

Naomi shot up and grabbed for her stomach. She clenched the sheets of the bed as she tried to catch her breath.

The shock wore off quickly when she realized where she was. In a different bed with a different silver-haired lover that didn't turn into inanimate objects when her drowsiness left her.

She touched his shoulder lightly to make sure he wouldn't disappear. When she was sure that he was solid, she sung her legs over the side of the bed and stared at the phone on the nightstand. She picked it up and listened to each of the fifty-two messages that had accumulated since she last saw it.

As the last messaged played, she felt more disgusted with herself than she ever had in her life.

_"I'm a hypocritical whore." _thought Naomi as she gathered her clothes up off the floor

"We had nightmare, did we?" asked a voice as clear and fluid as water

"I was looking in on a bad memory that I thought I had left in a past life." she answered while starting to dress

"You feel guilty about last night."

It wasn't a question or a guess at how she might have been feeling. It was more like he was telling her how she should feel, not that she needed it.

"You could almost always read my mind, Sesshoumaru-_sama_.", she practically spat the honorific, "It is strange to hear the word 'guilty' come from your mouth, though."

Sesshoumaru got up and went to pick some clean clothes from his closet. He slung a towel over his shoulder and started for the bathroom door when he paused.

"Is it really? Would it be even stranger if I told you I honestly felt the guilt I told you about last night?"

She had guilt written all over her face as she pulled the jacket over her shoulders and slipped the little phone into her pocket.

"No, it wouldn't. It would prove that you are really the man I thought you were when I met you. Just remember, forgiving and forgetting do not go hand-in-hand, no matter how much you want them to. I can forgive, but I can't forget."

She headed for the door when he stopped her.

"Wait."

She turned and saw something plastered on his face that seemed unreal. Guilt.

"Was it mine?"

She turned back to the door.

"Yes it was, you dense son of bitch. How could you ever think it wasn't?" she answered in an almost inaudible whisper

She left.

* * *

_He came in the night and attacked them in Inuyasha's forest as they returned to the village where Kaede resided. Kouga came trailing behind Naraku when he picked up that disgusting stench._

_Naraku floated in the sky with a wicked smile stretched across his face. They had done everything they could and yet that sadistic bastard was almost completely unharmed. Kouga was the last to join in the battle but the first to fall. The stubborn wolf lay in a bloody heap at Naraku's feet. Kagome let tears stream down her face as a look of anger and disgust spread across her face as the little kitsune and hell cat were struck down. She was the only one left standing._

_The others were alive but just barely, marinating in pools of their own blood. Sango and Miroku were lying together. They promised to go together, if they must go at all. That sick fuck tore them to shreds, Miroku first, then Sango soon after. He lay on his side, doubled over in pain. She used her last bit of strength to crawl over and lie next to him. They held each other as they drifted in and out of consciousness._

_Inuyasha had charged in with all his might when he saw his comrades' fall. He was batted away quickly by one of Naraku's tentacles like a fly. He was face down in the dirt and couldn't move. It was as if he were paralyzed. That is when he realized that Naraku had shot his disgusting tentacles through his torso, arms, and legs and was shooting poison through his system._

_Kagome watched the acidic poison course through Inuyasha's veins, slowly eating him alive. There was nothing she could do. She had run out of arrows and was petrified with fear. In her mind, she began calling on Kikyou's power, almost begging to receive some of the miko's power so she would be able to help. She ran into the fray, continuing her begging all the while. She felt something like an electric charge surge through her body as she closed in on Naraku. A transparent figure stood between her and the evil hanyou. Kikyou. Naraku dropped down from the sky and began attacking her. _

_Kagome jumped through the spirit on to Naraku, a seemingly impossible feat, and dug her nails deep into his skin as a blinding light engulfed them._

_Inuyasha came to when it was over. He rose to his feet with what little strength he had and saw it. They were all gone. He went straight for where Kagome's body lay. She had done it. She had killed Naraku. They were free. Only he was alive to 'enjoy' it._

_He held her in his arms and cried, holding on to her for dear life. He looked on to the blood-stained grounds with teary eyes. He placed Kagome down so he could check on the others. Gone. They were all dead and the jewel was nowhere in sight, not that it mattered._

_He retuned to Kagome and picked her up. He caught glimpses of her face as he walked. She looked as if she was just sleeping._

_It started raining as he reached his destination, the Goshinboku. He used what little strength he had to dig out a hole in the ground. He gave her teary kiss as her put her into the ground. His vision was doubling and he was becoming light-headed as he finished covering up the hole. With his bloody, dirt-stained claws, he carved something to the tree before collapsing onto the mound of dirt:_

_'Kagome Higurashi,_

_My beloved'

* * *

_

Inuyasha stared into the ceiling, looking for an answer that wasn't there. He watched as the morning sun peaked through the shades into his room. The sun was welcomed by an aggravated growl from an irritable hanyou. He sat up and looked at the phone that had never left his hand. Would he bother to call her again?

He had flipped open the phone when she walked in the door. That stench automatically smacked him in the face. That unforgettable stench that he thought he had smelled the last of a half century before.

"Sesshoumaru..." he spat.

* * *

_So, what do you think? I hope it's not getting too soap opera-y, even though that's not a word. Let me know what you think. Show some love and review!_

_Peace, for now!_


	6. Power Struggle, Crimson Crazed pt1

_Hello people! Sorry to have taken so long. I didn't plan on making it a two part, but that's how it ended up._

_A little tid bit of lime, but with good taste, in this one. _

_Thanks to Anti Fluffy and SweetxXxConfusion for reviewing!_

_

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_

Chapter 6: Power Struggle, Crimson Crazed pt.1

_As aching hands touched, scratched, roamed, trying to remember where they had last left their fingerprints, he felt it. It surged through him as he tasted the few salty beads of sweat that rolled down her neck. His power had returned to him. With her, he need not be that pathetic, practically neutered bastard that he had become. If for only that night, he was again, a powerful overlord who knew no boundaries. Rough, raw, and painfully pleasurable, gentle touches were for the weak. He refused to be gentle in his domain, where he ruled, and he did not expect her to be gentle either. She wasn't, of course. She re-drew lines of old wounds and opened new ones as they exchanged bruising kisses. _

_The ghost of his lost limb shot ice into his shoulder as she flooded his mind. The unbearable cold caught him off guard as did she when she took control. _

_At the same time, she was losing control of the inferno raging through her. Her hands set a blaze as she raked them down his chest, drawing blood and leaving smoked flesh in their path. _

_The ice was melted and replaced by the white-hot fury of the hellfire that scorched his skin. He could feel it burning through his entire being, it empowered him even more. His clawed hand cut across her lower back and hips, telling her that her domination was coming to a close. _

_She relinquished and again, he ruled their world..._

Sesshoumaru ran his hand through his hair as the ice water from the showerhead tried to cool his skin. His mind revisited the night's events repeatedly, trying to make him give into his need for her.

"I don't need her…" he whispered as he leaned forward into the cool, tiled wall.

The tiles felt good against his forehead as did the now freezing water cascading down his back. For a moment, he had thought the feeling was calming him down, returning him to reality. All that was gone when his hand slid down his chest and over the singed flesh, awakening the fire she had left. He gave in and became lost in it, knowing it would not be the same.

_I need her...

* * *

_

Naomi walked in slowly; she needed time to collect her thoughts before she faced him. There was no excuse for what she had done, even though Inuyasha had done the same more times than either of them could remember.

She heard him speak his brother's name. It was faint but she could practically taste the venom dripping off each syllable. She had put herself six feet under the minute she stepped out of her room the day before.

He emerged from his room, looking like a rabid animal ready to go on a rampage. She wouldn't run this time. He was going to learn the truth and...probably hate her for all eternity. At least it wouldn't hurt as much anymore.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" yelled Inuyasha with pain and anger entwined

Naomi absent-mindedly rubbed one of the welts Sesshoumaru had left on her neck and cringed.

_You really know how to leave your mark..._

"I went to visit some ghosts from my past like the hypocrite I am."

"Is Sesshoumaru here?"

She began to pick the dry blood and skin out of her claws. He watched in disgust as the red flakes drifted to the floor.

"I'm sorry, what you see is all there is."

Inuyasha ran his hand through his hair and leaned up against the wall.

"I don't need this! How could you do that to me after all that guilt you put me through?! And with him of all people?! I didn't even know you knew him!"

His yells echoed through the apartment as Naomi went in search of her many cigarette stashes. He watched as she pulled out a half empty carton from between the seat cushions of the sofa. She remained silent as she took one out and lit it.

"I want some answers and I want them now, damn it! I spend the whole night up calling you while you were out fucking my brother and I want to know WHY!"

She looked up at him with a look of anger and confusion. She took one long drag and lazily opened her mouth to release the smoke before answering him.

"If I could give you an honest answer, I would. But I can't. I'm having a hard time finding an answer for myself."

"Liar! You know damn well why."

She took another drag and snuffed out the cigarette on her wrist. Instead of looking at him, she focused, with a false intensity, on the blistering skin that looked more painful than it felt.

"I...I don't know. I didn't plan for it to happen. I just went for a walk and ended up in a bar. He walked in after I did and...he just..." her voice drifted off as her mind went to the events of the previous night.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he thought of Naomi in the arms of his brother.

"How do you know him?" he asked sternly

"I served in your father's court..."

* * *

_**Life had been horrible until he came into her life. Being tortured for being a 'mutt', never truly belonging in any one place.**_

**_The daughter of a Lady in the court of the tiger clan and a 'low-life mongrel of a dog' from Ryuukyuu had a hard life, forced to serve as an assassin for the tiger clan once her parents died._**

**_The Inu no Taisho had saved her as he was passing through the ruin of what once was the tiger kingdom. A sneak attack by youkai from the main land was their downfall and her deliverance from the hell she had been living in._**

_**After recovering from her injuries, she decided to stay with the taiyoukai, having nowhere else to turn. In time she came to love the demon lord. She told him of her love, only to find her feelings one-sided.**_

**_That is when she met the lord's son..._**

_Naomi was strolling about the courtyard, admiring the flower beds filled with many familiar and exotic plants. It felt awkward having all that time to herself, having absolutely no assignments as of late._

_She thought the lord was probably being easy on her because of a particularly awkward moment she has inadvertently forced upon him._

_"Naomi-sama!"_

_She turned at the sound of her name to see a young servant girl running toward her._

_"Naomi-sama, the lord has requested your presence."_

_She sighed heavily as she sent the young girl back to her duties. _

_It was unusual of him to send for her, rather than going talk to her himself. This worried her greatly._

_She made her way his quarters, where she could his shadow illuminated through the shoji. She bowed before the door._

_"You summoned me, milord?"_

_"Enter."_

_She slid the door open and walked in hesitantly. Her eyes found him sitting so still she might have mistaken him for a boulder. He went by the name Kei, and at that moment he personified every meaning of the word._

_"Kei-sama, if this is about what happened the other day I..."_

_"There is no need to worry about that. I want you to train my son."_

_Naomi cocked her head a bit at him._

_"You have a son?"_

_"Yes...Sesshoumaru, you may enter now."_

_**She turned to see the man that would be her downfall.**_

_Sesshoumaru...

* * *

It sucks, I know. I had to give you guys something for waiting so long for me. _

Teh demon smex is deliciously violent. Show some love and review! Click the little "Go" button on the left. You know you want to.

It sucks, I know. I had to give you guys something for waiting so long for me. It sucks, I know. I had to give you guys something for waiting so long for me. 


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